For the last week of the lecture, we went to the Healthy Aging Symposium. As we began setting up for our posers, we faced the difficulty of stabilizing the posters because of the wind. Posters were huge, but it looked very nice and professional. I loved each poster's design, and I noticed many details that we often could not see on the computer. The poster attracted many people to come over and start reading it. As our group shared our proposal with other people, they were very interested in the event and hoped they would have the chance to visit the event. They even offered some suggestions of location that we could host the event which would attract many people.

We met so many interesting people who were willing to share their experiences and ideas with us. Another lady that we met told us that she loved to interact with the younger people. However, she mentioned that many seniors were lonely because they lack any social support. She was lucky enough to have her own community by going to her church. Unfortunately, she stated that many others might not be as lucky as she and are forgotten by the community. Not every city had a decent and welcoming senior center that seniors could go to. This was why she thought that Life Course Scholars program was excellent by creating events to raise awareness and help to build a welcoming community. She hoped that the issue of not realizing the seniors as an important population in the community should be addressed as soon as possible. It was interesting to hear their stories and their perspectives. For example, Barrio Logan also lacked an adequate senior center, so this problem remained in the community because many elderly people might need help getting resources and find a place they could go to for help. Going to this Healthy Aging Symposium is definitely eye-opening and fun. ​

As we are approaching the end of the quarter, we had potluck during the lecture and started our class with the presentation of the poster so that groups can receive feedbacks for their posters. Every poster was very creative and interesting, and it would look very nice once it is printed on the poster. I can’t believe that this was already the last lecture of this entire year, and I would miss going to class every Wednesday. This class has always been my favorite class from the beginning. By the end of the second quarter, we, as a cohort, already know each other very well, and the environment in our class is very comfortable.

We also had our last book presentation of the quarter. I enjoyed reading these passages because I was always learning new things. Every chapter has its unique theme, and each passage is built on top of different themes. I like how the stories are from different perspectives, and it really allows myself to start thinking things differently or in a different point of view. Each passage is engaging because different authors share their personal stories and the process of their growth. We get to see how their lives are shaped by their background, culture, and race. Because of their physical appearances, it could put them in a very disadvantaged situation. I would recommend this book to many of my friends simply because the richness of each passage, and I am sure that many of them would not only enjoy reading it but also seeing different aspects of issues that exist in our current society. ​

We spent an hour discussing the experiences of going to the LGBT community center. All scholars stated that they enjoyed going there, and they would like to go back again to foster a stronger relationship with the members of the LGBT community center. It sounded like going to the LGBT community center was a unique and memorable event. Rather than just going once for an entire year, it would be better for students to go back and visit more frequently just like what we did for Casa De Manana. When Chase was sharing his experiences of interacting with a lady from LGBT center, it was unfortunate to hear that she had faced many obstacles and miseries in her life. Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to receive support from their family members and friends. The lady that Chase talked to did not have any support throughout her life. We have been to Bayside community center, Gary and Mary Senior Center, and Cada De Manana. When we asked what they think about their neighborhood, we often heard about positive feedbacks regarding their local community, and they love living there. However, we often neglect that there are people who have been very lost and forgotten from the beginning. Sometimes, what we could do is sit down and listen to their experiences. The best thing we can do is to let them know that their voices matter and many people are willing to help them and listen to their concerns, and this small action might make them feel welcomed and warm instead of thinking negatively about this world. ​

It was unfortunate that I was not able to go to the LGBT community center this week because of my class conflicted with the schedule. I am sure it is an exciting and rewarding experience of going to LGBT community center and having the opportunity to interact with elderly people in the center. After looking at the pictures that were taken this week, it seems like a very engaging activity which people work collaboratively to contribute their ideas of what they want to see in an age-friendly city. LGBT seniors are more likely to be isolated and loss support from their families. Being able to interact with seniors allows Life Course Scholars to see the situation in a new perspective and also learn from elders at the same time.

As for our HAP project, we applied for AARP scholarship and submitted it on Wednesday morning. The application process was very time-consuming and challenging to us when we were filling it out. However, we still made it through as a team. Hopefully, we can get the scholarship, which will increase our budget for our HAP project. The decision will be released on June 25th, and they can decide how much they want to reward to the applicant. We will also be working on our HAP poster that is due in a few weeks. Time does go by very fast, and it is almost the end of the quarter. We can't wait to see the Healthy Aging Symposium that is coming up in three weeks. ​

We had Professor Peerson came over and gave us an excellent lecture about formatting our HAP project. She pointed out many mistakes that people often made when doing their projects, and she wanted us to arrange the board in a way that would capture people’s attention. The lecture was helpful by offering suggestions for us that we could take into consideration. Now, we know what to avoid and what to put on our project to make it stand out more and also interesting to read at the same time. Because there were only four HAP projects this year, both professors recommended us to create posters for NAP project as well. All of us could split up the work instead of many people working on only one poster because it would be very chaotic if all 6 of us were working on the same poster without using Google Slide.

Because our group plans the event on next Fall Quarter, we do not have any picture to put on the poster. It is also very unprofessional to put some clip arts on the poster. Therefore, we could use GIS data that we will make and photos of the location as evidence to make the poster more interesting to read. In addition to that, I am thinking about drawing some images to put on the poster if anyone of us is good at drawing. Because our group plans the event on next Fall Quarter, we do not have any picture to put on the poster. It is also very unprofessional to put some clip arts on the poster. Therefore, we could use GIS data that we will make and photos of the location as evidence to make the poster more interesting to read. In addition to that, I am thinking about drawing some images to put on the poster if anyone of us is good at drawing.

The book discussion this week was very engaging as many students share their ideas and concerns. It reminded me a workshop that I had attended, which was called Cross Culture Communication. I learned about “I” statement that we should use throughout the conversation and always understand that what I think does not mean that other people will think in the same way. Therefore, using I would not generalize my statement to everyone and also respect other individuals' cultures. It is better to use "they" to bring everyone together and not to leave out anyone when giving a presentation. ​

This is our second time visiting Bayside Community center, and the experience of going is very meaningful and enjoyable. Zumba continues to be an intense exercise for me even after a quarter. Because our group is working on our video for the project, we were planning to film Zumba as well as interviewing some elders. After meeting Jackie, she is a lovely and strong individual who is willing to help us to act out some of the scenes. Words cannot express how much we appreciate her help. We are all amazed to learn that she is already 76. Now I understand, when we stop worrying about aging, aging is no longer our enemy. Rather than running away from getting old, one should embrace the beauty of the natural process of the life cycle. She has a very active life and always comes to Zumba. In addition to that, she also has her own style of living, and we can tell that she is delighted with her life. We also had opportunities to interact with other elders when we are discussing about how to build an age-friendly environment. Food was delicious. It was interesting to hear that different nursing schools and college programs come to the community center and educate elders about the health promotion and elder abuse. Elders shares their ideas of having more intergenerational activities in which close the bridge between the older adults and the younger generation. It was nice to have opportunities to sit down and share each other’s opinions. ​

For our third visit at Casa De Manana, we had the opportunity to sit down and interact with elders. They are all very caring and lovely individuals who love to share their experiences with us. As we talk about what are some necessary building blocks to create an age-friendly community, it is fascinating to see a new perspective from seniors who have more experiences. They love the idea of letting college students take classes in Case De Manana retirement community, so this would be intergenerational because elders could also participate in the class. Listening to elders share their ideas was an incredible experience because there are many things that we, as the younger generation, often do not think about when we try to create a more age-friendly event or place. Margeret also told us how a larger sidewalk and a designated place to drop tourists off would be beneficial for everyone because she was injured due to a large number of people being dropped off at a narrow sidewalk.

I love sitting down and talk with elders. Creating an age-friendly environment needs the collaboration of everyone at different ages. Elders have more insights than many of us, and they have unique ideas that we often neglect and do not think about. Therefore, when we actually have time and sit down to talk about the same goal, elders always give some crucial opinions that we should not neglect in order to build a friendly environment for everyone. We should not forget that seniors are also part of the community, and their voices are very essential. ​

For week 3, we updated our HAP projects during the class and discussed our readings. For this week’s reading, each passage shares its unique voice. It is unfortunate to see that the older generation has become the scapegoat for many problems in our society. There are many misconceptions that the general population have about elders, and these wrong information has put many elders in a disadvantaged situation.

After watching the video Secret Life of the Brain: Aging Brain, it is surprising to see some of statistics in the film and to realize that happiness is lowest at the age around 30 to 50. However, it makes sense to me because people at the age of 30 to 50 will need to find ways not only to take care their kids but also their parents. It puts many people in a difficult situation. After they use their money for their kids’ tuition and their parents' health care insurance, they hardly have any time to save up money for themselves before they retire. My neighbor is also in the same situation. After she helps her daughter pays for her college tuition, my neighbor has to quit her jobs because her father becomes too sick to live on his own, so my neighbor needs to takes care of him. It is tough for her because she hardly has her own time. She rarely has spare time to do something that she loves. It is sad to see that many people are being trapped in this scenario. In addition, data also indicates the level of happiness will eventually go up after retirement. ​

Because this is a new quarter, we have to read another book, analyze the reading, and present the text to the class. Elizabeth, Jacky, and Rhiannon did an excellent job of explaining each reading and giving an in-depth analysis of different passages. I enjoy reading this book as well because of its unique perspective from someone who perhaps actually experiences or has heard the story from his or her relative. Each passage was fascinating, and it demonstrates that how people could be affected differently depending on their age and the period that they were born. Everyone has different experiences that they could share. In addition, I totally agree that some of the events that happen during an early stage of people’s lives help people prepare for the worse in the future.

As for our HAP, we did make some progress. Because many of us did not have the chance to see the project that Nina did, we went down to Chula Vista and saw the sensory garden over the weekend. We also got a chance to walk around the St.Paul’s Plaza, and this place is very organized and neat. Each resident has his or her own space. I felt that many assisted living facilities are very similar, and all these facilities try to create a friendly community for elders to stay. It was really nice; helping and learning from Nina’s project could definitely shape up our idea and give us a better understanding of where we want to go.

In addition to HAP, we also have another new project that allows us to clarify some misconceptions about ageism through videos, infographics, or other creative ideas. This project sounds very exciting to me because we can decide which methods that we can use that would be most useful to reach our audience. ​

It was the first week of the Spring quarter, and it was exciting to see my classmates and casually talk about what they did over the Spring Break. After going over the syllabus, I am really looking forward to this quarter’s event and site visits. Because HAP is due this quarter, each group updated professors with what they have so far including their plan and budget. As for our group, we came up with a new idea when we were discussing our previous plan with Nina. All of us like to create a pop-up garden, and this idea seems unrealistic to finish it in one quarter. It was helpful to discuss our concerns and challenges that we are facing, so both professors would shape up our idea and give us more suggestion of how to create a successful event that could create a longer impact within the community. It is highly recommended to host the event in October in order to boost up visibility. Before actually starting to plan for our actual event, we have so much to learn from people who have done a pop-up event. We should do some research on which communities are lack of green space and what we could do to encourage participation for residents. Despite the challenging that we are facing, we have six members in our group, and we can go through the obstacles together as a team. If the event turns out successful, we are planning to use as the supporting evidence to demonstrate the benefit of green space in a particular community. ​